* Multifunction devices, virtual software appliances promise to slim down data centers and branch offices
Net managers grapple with appliance overload
By Denise Dubie
As appliances proliferate across data centers and branch offices, network managers are questioning whether the benefits of these specialized devices outweigh the management burden they create.
“The appliance form factor is very appealing, but there is a point at which there are just too many appliances. You can have a limited amount of rack space, and for the most part, the goal is to reduce the number of devices you have to manage,” says Koie Smith, IT administrator at Jackson, Tenn., law firm Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell.
Smith and many others seeking security, acceleration and management capabilities over the past few years invested in software packaged on specialized network appliances.
As appliances proliferate across data centers and branch offices, network managers are questioning whether the benefits of these specialized devices outweigh the management burden they create.
One appeal of such preconfigured appliances is that they can require less upkeep than software installed on a server. A device may need updates only when the appliance vendor releases them and not with every Microsoft patch update, for example. Plus, if for some reason an appliance doesn’t work, its failure is fairly contained, making troubleshooting far easier.
“There is no mixed vendor interaction on an appliance, giving you only one throat to choke when something goes wrong,” says Chris Majauckas, computer technology manager for Metrocorp Publications in Boston.
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